Digital drivers of public management of countries’ economic development amid global changes

Abstract

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThis paper examines the digital drivers of public administration amid global transformations. Based on a comparative analysis of Denmark, Estonia, Singapore, South Korea, Poland, and Ukraine, five groups of indicators were assessed: digital government readiness, digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital human capital, and economic development outcomes. The methodology combines Pearson correlation analysis, cross-sectional least squares (OLS), pooled panel least squares (OLS), and two-way fixed-effects models on a balanced panel of 42 country observations for 2018–2024. The results demonstrated strong cross-country links between institutional effectiveness, digital maturity, and economic development. The World Governance Indicator is the strongest correlate of GDP per capita in the pooled specification. The E-Government Development Index exhibits a loss of significance in fixed-effects specifications. The results suggest that the strongest pooled relationships predominantly capture persistent differences across countries rather than persistent within-country effects over time.The study identifies four digital maturity profiles: mature digital states (Denmark, Singapore), dynamic leaders (Estonia, South Korea), systemic digital transformation (Poland), and transformation in crisis (Ukraine). Despite the war, e-government use increased by 20 percentage points, and the World Governance Indicator improved by 0.20 between 2018 and 2024. Hypothesis testing provides partial or descriptive support for the proposed relationships, while the 60% digital skills threshold is considered a descriptive pattern rather than a formally tested moderating effect. The WAR coefficient remains strongly associated with unemployment, but a causal interpretation is not required. The results support differentiated policy recommendations, emphasizing that digital transformation is embedded in institutional, human, and security settings.AcknowledgmentsThis research is carried out within the framework of the ERASMUS+ SUSTED project “Education for sustainable development: synergy of competencies for the recovery of Ukraine” (Project number: 101178414). The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.